Publications

Despite generally high rates of grid connectivity in African cities, electricity access among users in informal settlements remains heavily constrained. This study explores the challenges that restrict electricity access and use across 25 informal settlements in Kampala, Uganda using a mixed-methods participatory action research (PAR) approach conducted by an inter- and transdisciplinary team. We find that the high cost of electricity, a complex and expensive utility connection process, weak renter protections, an unstable power supply, the poor condition and coverage of distribution infrastructure, and a lack of trust and communication between communities and electricity service providers were substantial barriers to electricity access and use. We present solutions that were identified and evaluated during a series of collaborative workshops with community members and other stakeholders. The study documents the research process as an application of PAR to topics of energy justice and infrastructural citizenship in urban informal settlements. By focusing on the lived experiences of residents, this work demonstrates the value of integrating local knowledge and collaborative problem-solving into energy research and policy. Our results demonstrate how the insights from PAR can enrich traditional infrastructure planning and management processes to foster more equitable, just, and democratic energy transitions.

As the Global South rapidly and inequitably urbanizes, cities are at the forefront of efforts to address energy-related dimensions of poverty. In many African cities, electricity via a connection to a grid—the gold standard of electrification—has not substantially displaced smoky, polluting fuels. Among low-income communities, connections tend to be based on improvised, informal arrangements with local intermediaries. The nature and level of access these connections provide is not well understood and cannot be easily measured using existing energy access metrics such as the Multi-Tier Framework. This study provides a grounded, empirical analysis of grid connections across 25 informal settlements in the Ugandan capital city of Kampala. Using a mixed-methods approach that incorporates surveys, interviews and remote power quality monitoring, we trace electrical and financial flows between the utility, supply intermediaries and end users. We identify 29 unique configurations of these flows—which we term service arrangements—that provide electricity of varying and overall limited levels of affordability, reliability, voltage stability, precarity, autonomy and safety. Our evidence suggests that the grid delivers highly inequitable electricity services that fall short of aspirations of modern energy for the city’s most vulnerable communities.

Electric vehicles are pivotal for global climate solutions, particularly in emerging markets like Africa. Despite the continent’s clean energy potential, electric vehicle adoption faces unique challenges due to inefficiencies and reliability issues of distribution power grids. Here, we analyze the impacts of expanding electric vehicle fleets—private, commercial, and paratransit—on Nairobi’s power grid. We simulate traffic patterns, charging behaviors, and transformer utilization using local mobility data. Our results show that while electric commercial and paratransit fleets may improve power system efficiency, widespread private EV adoption could significantly strain the grid, increasing peak loads and transformer aging. Smart charging strategies could mitigate these issues, reducing potential transformer replacement costs by up to 40%. Our study highlights the importance of tailored demand management and infrastructure planning to support EV growth in African cities, providing critical insights for policymakers, utilities, and transport planners to facilitate sustainable electric mobility transitions.

Traditional cooking methods are hazardous and time-consuming, disproportionately exposing women and girls to these negative effects. In rural areas, fuelwood can be gathered from personal trees or the surrounding landscape. However, urban areas lack the luxury of gathering their biomass, and commercial fuels such as LPG are expensive due to high upfront costs and lumpy recurrent payments. While higher-income households can overcome these barriers, those in dense urban informal settlements find themselves in a precarious situation. Measures to drive E-cooking adoption have the greatest potential to succeed in urban informal settlements because a) access to biomass is constrained, b) most consumers are connected to the grid, and c) living quarters are smaller and lack ventilation. Since informal settlements can make up a significant proportion of the urban population, investing in the transition to clean cooking in these areas may yield the highest returns on public investments.

The urgent need for universal electrification and the high cost of grid expansion highlight the crucial role of mini-grids in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). These systems harness technologies such as cost-effective renewable energy to provide reliable and affordable electricity to remote, off-grid communities. However, the existing mini-grids lack economic viability in the long run. To address this challenge, mini-grid demand stimulation programs have been developed to stimulate electricity demand by incentivizing the adoption of appliances, particularly for productive purposes....